The Basics of Hunting – A Detailed Guide

Hunting is a game of passion, endurance, agility, and reflex. If you are looking to get involved with this new obsession, this post will guide you in a detailed way on how to start and what basic things you will need to learn before getting ready for your first hunting session.

Whether you want to hunt an elk, deer or wild pig, you need to learn some basic things in order to be ready to go on your first hunting expedition.

The biggest challenge will be between choosing a good compound bow and rifle. For beginners, it is necessary to seek guidance from their peers to learn about the best hunting gear for the job. There is no point in purchasing unnecessary gear.

Let’s get into some advanced tips and discuss some points that need to be adhered to by every new hunter.

Move Slow

Whenever you spot an animal such as a deer or wild pig, you should have control over your footsteps as making a significant noise or cracking sound will alert animals to an unusual presence in their surrounding.

Try to practice still walking and standing in the same position for 5 minutes. This small exercise will help you to stay still whenever you spot an animal.

Drive Solo

When you spot an animal in your surrounding vicinity, it is preferred that you walk solo instead of moving on with your team. Instead, your other team members should surround the animal. This would help you to go for a kill even if the animal goes off your target as it could be shot down by one of your team mates. The main reason for driving solo is, driving in a group tends to produce noise which would alert the animal and they may get away.

Use a Good Rangefinder

A rangefinder helps you to estimate the distance between you and your target. It is very important that you use a well-branded rangefinder so that you can accurately estimate the distance between you and your target. Accurately estimating the distance will help you to take your shot when the animal is within range.

Stay Athletic

This is one tip which is very important if you want to become a successful hunter. You need to stay athletic in your daily life. There is an adage that says “There is no place for unfit hunters” which means that being unfit can cause you to lose your focus easily. You need to be agile and spontaneous in order to move quickly when you see your target.

Observe Your Peers

For any beginner level hunter, you should accompany your peers and experienced team mates on a few hunting sessions to get the gist of how it works in the real world.

Observing the skills and mindset of an advanced and experienced hunter will help you to learn the basics. When starting out with hunting you should always try to practice under the supervision of an experienced hunter.

Learn Hand Communications

When you are actively hunting, you will mostly communicate with your team members with your hands by using hand gestures. This is because making any sort of sound or noise could make your target run away.

Thus, it is very important that you learn the basic hand gestures that will come in handy when you are live hunting on the field.

Check Your Boots

Always make a habit of checking your boots before going on a hunting session. Your boots should be in good shape because you will be walking across different terrains non stop.

Learn to Build a Fire in the Wild

This reminds me of Man vs Wild. I have watched endless episodes in which Bear Grylls tells you how to make a fire in an abandoned forest with no equipment as a part of a survival strategy. You too should learn how to start fires in the wild so that you are prepared for the worst of the circumstances.

Carry Less Weight

Carrying a heavy rucksack will get you nowhere. It is important that you carry an adequate size backpack with the important items you will need. As less weight will help you to stay mobile, it doesn’t mean that you leave the basic equipment such as the sleeping bag, gloves, first aid at your home.

Right Mindset

This is the last and the most important point of this post. A beginner hunter should not go on the field just to warm up his body. Once you are hunting, you are hunting, as simple as that. Have a proper mindset and try your best to get through your first hunt.

Once you are through with that, it will give you an instant boost for your next hunting trips.

So these were the 10 basic points for a beginner hunter. I hope you have enjoyed reading this post as much as I did writing it. Please share your views in the comments section below.

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